eilonwy77 wrote:I also wonder what people who attended think about it. How did it compare to past years? What did you like? Etc., etc.

[Apologies if this is a bit of a brain dump rather than a coherant narrative. ]

The first BC (actually NWBC at the time) I went to was in 2006 and each year the space gets bigger, the numbers grow and the atmosphere, the vibe stays the same, in a good way. I never really believed I could meet and talk to every one but in recent years, with so many people, I have been able to make myself actually believe that it is OK not to try. It was really nice, as in past years, to just strike up a conversation with another LEGO nerd as we both admired a MOC or a new set on display or perused the Scratch & Dent pile. I didn't feel guilty not learning the name of everyone I spoke too. For me that relaxed feeling was the best yet.

It may also have helped that on Saturday my son and I went back to the hotel room shortly after public hours, had lunch and I took a nap while he crashed on the couch. It is amazing how much more enjoyable the rest of Saturday and Sunday were this year having gotten enough sleep. Sure I missed out getting to see Jeff's LEGO room at his party but maybe he will do it again next year.

That is important to me and a good sign: I am already looking forward to next year. I have been smiling and cheerful for two mornings post-con and thinking pleasantly (but not obsessively) about what I might do next year.

Other thoughts:

Castle Display: working with Jim and Trevor and Tom and Bob to create the town was loads of fun. The CCC standard again proved itself easy to use as we were able to create a town that made sense with a complete circuit of walls from virtually no plan. I am gonna have to build up an "army" of peasants over the next year as there were plenty of soldiers to go around but precious few civilians. Thanks to everyone for wall sections and buildings and people.

I really enjoyed hanging out chatting behind the tables during the public hours on Sunday. In fact I was having such a good time Sunday I even enjoyed talking to the public for a while. Usually I am really burned out (especially having done our local train show the weekend before) but this year I felt OK. This was probably good for some - Hi Chris! - who looked a little worse for wear on Sunday.

The little flickering candle lights really made those MOCs come alive. That flickering light provided a nice movement in the display.

Operation Bricklord: I also contributed to this and it looked spectacularly busy but maybe something different in terms of layout would be nice next year. I think the way we do the castle display might add some flexibility to OpB next year. Doing the same thing two years in a row was OK but I think we have done with the town with canal.

Film Fest: I missed it completely because they ran it at an odd time. Would it really have been a problem to run it again in the evening or Sunday sometime? Maybe before the Saturday awards.

Shopping: My second favorite activity @ BC. The lack of Pick a Brick at the Con was disappointing but certainly made the store event less chaotic. Speaking of Chaos, I have to give a thumbs up to the new Scratch & Dent system. Thanks to a friend with a better position and no particular desire of his own I was able to get a Death Star but even if I had not, the system seemed reasonably fair and knowing where I was going to be in the order was really nice.

Oh, and perhaps the highlight of the con for me was Hillel's talk on Saturday evening. It was insightful, hilarious and said many things I think are on AFOLs minds in a way that was funny but serious and not angry or whining. I hope the LEGO staff who heard it take something of that back to the company and do something good with it. That talk was the kind of adult, thoughtful content that makes conventions like this work for me. I like having "childish" fun - hey, I think my Romans with the flame-thrower were amusing - but content that engages my adult brain is good too.

I agree -- the talk about the collectible minifigs was pretty amusing. Part of me was thinking, "Hurry up already! My parking expires at 8 and I have to drive all the way across the state before midnight. Get on with it!" But the talk was so good that pretty soon I didn't care whether I got a parking ticket or not.

I went and took two things: the atrium with the fountain and the stained glass windows, and a spider mosaic. I was sooooo nervous I could hardly set the windows up. I shook and a few pieces came out (I think they settled a bit on the car trip) and I could barely get them back together. So yeah: it can be intimidating. I only went on one day, and it felt like I was showing up really late for a party where everybody already knows each other, and they know all the rules to all the party games, none of which I've ever heard of. But Josh was quite helpful, and Caylin has a smile that can light up a whole room, which made me feel a bit less nervous. I steeled myself and asked if I could come sit with all the castle people behind their MOCs, and they were sweet and let me in. I spent awhile talking to Trevor and Chris and some other people, and I sort of got used to it all. But I kept running out for breaks: lunch, cocktails at the happy hour bar, fudge by the fountain. Time to recuperate and head back to the hordes of people again.

There were lots of people that came through. I saw a slide in Joe Meno's photostream that said over 10,000 people came through the public hours. It was rather gratifying to see people looking at something I made and taking pictures of it. Of course, they were doing the same all over the place, because there were so many fabulously cool things there. It was really great to see.

I'm pretty confident I'll have more to say, but that's enough for now.

Lewa Rocks wrote:Oh, Josh I was the guy that came up and wanted to meet AlienCat. Sorry I didn't introduce myself to you. I didn't know you were from CC and didn't see your name tag

No problem! He is way cooler than me anyway. Just so you know, Tedward and I were the two talking to each other when you asked him to find AC for you. I was wondering how some random person would know that AC was there, but my brain was so shot I wasn't thinking straight. I should have figured it was you.

Josh

Oh okay. I recognized AlienCat (from other con pics) when I saw him behind the table I didn't want to yell across the table so I figured asking you two would be easier. Sorry to Teward to. i didn't introduce myself I didn't see your name tag either. It was hard finding people according to name tag and familiar faces (I looked at a lot of previous convention pics so most people looked familiar).

Thank you AC, that was who I forgot. I knew you introduced me to some others but couldn't remember who. Sorry I took off so fast after. I felt very awkward.

Oh, thanks, Josh. It was exciting to win something. Then when my husband called with two screaming kids in the background saying, "I need you home NOW," I could say, "But I won something! I had to stay and get my trophy!" (Poor guy. It was bedtime and Mommy wasn't there, and all three of them were having a breakdown. But they survived. )

eilonwy77 wrote:Oh, thanks, Josh. It was exciting to win something. Then when my husband called with two screaming kids in the background saying, "I need you home NOW," I could say, "But I won something! I had to stay and get my trophy!" (Poor guy. It was bedtime and Mommy wasn't there, and all three of them were having a breakdown. But they survived. )

The Drow rule supreme again, congratulations on the reward and even more, congratulations for attendingSomehow I keep thinking that my life as AFOL would be so much easier if I really new all of you guys, and attend this kind of events, more ideas, plans, companionship and partying (heh), easier access to parts (I've haven't seen a tile for a few months now, and baseplates are like made of gold here:), inspirations for new things to build and admiration or criticism, when appropriate

Or just talking to the guy or a girl that is similarly excited about the upcoming minifigs 3 or wings

Sometimes it feels so lonely, building on my on

Last edited by pijani on Sat Oct 09, 2010 4:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Okay, after a couple days to recuperate, and to get myself back to normal again, I can finally post my thoughts. (Having my computer away being fixed doesn't help matters either)

Okay, first things first. Meeting the people. That was easily the best part about it all. Being able to put faces to the people I have chatted with was awesome. The initial meeting with some of them was a bit awkward (Aliencat, you really need to learn some manners ), but the awkwardness didn't last long. I really can't wait for next year now.

Then there was all the Lego. Many awesome creations, and lots of cheap stuff at the Lego store event. All the vintage stuff for sale was cool too (I got meself an Armada Flagship, plus a MISB Blacktron set). And I can't forget the cool Brickarms and Brickforge stuff.

Easily one of the biggest highlights was when I won "Wacky Races: Best Crash" award. I was very excited/nervous when I saw up on the screen that I had won. Heck, when I did the actual crashing, all the "woooooooooaaaahhhh"s that happened afterwards was awesome.

BiggerJim wrote:Perhaps there is a story here we should hear sometime? The Con does kinda bombard you with meeting so many people all at once but every time I've been I've made at least one new friend.

You wants story? Okay, I give you story.

Not so long ago, in a Seattle quite far away, I got lost a few times. After fruitlessly searching around the entire Seattle center, I finally stumble upon a sign saying "Brickcon". After another harrowing adventure of parking the car, I begin to carry Lego into ye old convention center. As I am passing a tall alien feline, he asks to shake my hand. at this point, I am carrying a large sailing ship (Perhaps you know of it? Wasn't many sailing ships there.) I do, however, hold the ship in my precariously in my left hand, I oblige the alien feline in his desire to shakes hands. and the rest is history.

Yes that's my favourite buildup-day activity, asking people for a handshake when they obviously have their hands full and then I act offended when they can't You did tackle that though and shook my hand so even though you foiled my plans I was happy to make your acquaintance.

Between plotting to kill you all and chasing balls of yarn, I also build MOCs